Foundation Systems and Soil Types

Foundation Systems and Soil Types - Homebuilding & Renovating
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Advice Expert advice Extension Foundations

Self build Structure
Foundation Systems and

Soil Types
A look at soil types and their various foundation
solutions
By Michael Holmes on 16 Jan 2009
https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/foundation-systems-and-soil-types/
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While seemingly innocuous, the soil type could

have a dramatic impact on your project. Michael
Holmes analyses the various ground conditions
and foundation solutions, revealing their cost.
Soil Types
A good starting point is to call your local
authority Building Control department. They
should be willing, informally, to give you an idea
of the typical soil type in the area you are
building, and the sort of foundation that is
appropriate.
Usefully, most local authorities produce a fact
sheet on typical foundation solutions for
different soil types commonly found in the area.
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Another useful source of information is the

Building Regulations. Approved Document A:
2004 lists seven types of soil plus subsoil
conditions and practical field tests to help you
identify soil type (download from
planningportal.gov.uk).
Rock
Rocks such as limestone, granite, sandstone,
shale and hard solid chalk have a high bearing
capacity. The rock may simply need to be
stripped back and levelled off to build from.
Rock can be impervious, so topsoil is likely to
require drainage as it is not possible to build
soakaways to dispose of rainwater or surface
water. Off-mains drainage options will also be
very limited.
Chalk
Strip foundations are commonly used in chalk.
Providing the chalk is not too soft, widths of
450mm for low-rise buildings are generally
acceptable. The depth of the foundation must be
below any frost action (700mm). If the chalk is
soft it will need to be excavated until firm chalk
is reached.
Chalk soils can be prone to erosion so be wary
of hollows or caves.
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Gravel and sand

Dry compact gravel, or gravel and sand subsoils
are usually adequate for strip foundations.
Generally a depth of 700mm is acceptable, as
long as the ground has adequate bearing
capacity.
If the water table is high (i.e. the gravel is
submerged), the bearing capacity is halved, so
its important to keep the foundations as high as
possible. A shallow, reinforced, wide strip
foundation may be suitable.
Sand holds together reasonably well when
damp, compacted and uniform, but trenches
may collapse and so sheet piling is often used to
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retain the ground in trenches until the concrete

is poured.
Clay
The first 900-1,200mm layer of clay is subject to
movement due to expansion and shrinkage
depending on moisture content, so it is generally
necessary to excavate foundations to a depth
where the moisture content of the clay remains
stable. British Standard 8004 recommends a
minimum depth of 1m for foundations But if
there are, or were, trees nearby, depths of up to
3m may be necessary.
In clay, prior to concreting the foundations, the
trench is often protected from heave by lining it
with a compressible layer (e.g. Clayboard).
Firm clay over soft clay

A traditional strip foundation is sometimes
acceptable but it is important not to overdig as
this may increase the stress on the softer clay
beneath. A common solution is to dig wide strip
foundations with steel reinforcement however
an engineered foundation may be necessary.
Peat
Peat and loose waterlogged sand are very poor
subsoils. If the peat can be stripped back to find
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suitable load-bearing ground of at least 1.5m

depth, strip foundations may be suitable. A
reinforced raft foundation will likely be required.
Filled ground
Where ground has previously been excavated
and filled, it is generally necessary to dig down
to a level beneath the area of the fill.
Sloping sites
Sloping sites require stepped foundations.
Guidelines are given in the Building Regulations.
Foundation Types
A quick guide to the most common types of
foundation
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Strip Foundation
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A continuous strip of concrete supporting loadbearing walls. For a single storey building strip
foundations will typically be 450mm wide and at
least 200mm deep, and for two storeys 600mm
wide and 200mm deep.
Deep Strip Foundations: Deep strip foundations:
Where strip foundations need to be at a lower
level to reach soil with suitable bearing capacity,
a wider, deeper trench can be dug to work in,
and the strip foundations dug and poured at a
lower level. Walls are then built up to ground
level in masonry.
Wide Strip Foundations: Wide strip foundations:
Where the soil is soft or of a low load-bearing
capacity, wide strip foundations can be used to
spread the load over a larger area, reinforced
with steel so that the loading per m is reduced.
Trenchfill Foundation
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Due to the high cost of labour, deep strip

foundations have largely been replaced by
trench fill. Trenches are dug to a depth where
the subsoil provides sufficient load-bearing
capacity, and the whole trench is filled with
concrete. Steel reinforcement may be added in
areas close to trees.
Compared to deep strip foundations, trench fill
minimises the width of the dig and the labour
and materials required for building masonry
below ground level, offsetting the cost of the
additional concrete.
Raft Foundation
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A reinforced concrete raft or mat is used on very
weak or expansive soils such as clays or peat.
They allow the building to float on or in the soil.
A raft is used where the soil requires such a large
bearing area that wide strip foundations are
spread too far, making it more economical to
pour one large reinforced concrete slab. A raft is
an alternative to piles as it can be less expensive.
Piled Foundation
Short bore pile and beam: Where the ground

conditions will not support strip foundations and
the depth of trench fill foundations become
uneconomic, or ground conditions make them
unsuitable, a series of columns (piles) can be
bored and cast in-situ, or precast piles driven
into place until they reach stronger strata.
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Short bore piles are typically 23m long and can

be reinforced with steel. Each pile is then
connected at the top by a precast horizontal
beam of reinforced concrete. A suspended
reinforced concrete ground floor can then be
built using precast components, or cast in situ.
Friction Piles: A similar concept to short bore

pile and beam used in situations where there is
no suitable bearing stratum at an acceptable
depth. Friction piles rely on skin resistance
against the soil.
Pad Foundations
Used when isolated loads need to be supported,
for instance to support the columns of a steel or
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post and beam frame house. The load is

concentrated on a small area.
How They Work
In basic terms, the purpose of a foundation is to

distribute the weight to be carried over a
sufficient surface as to prevent the subsoil from
spreading and avoid an unequal settlement of
the structure. This particular example is of a
concrete strip foundation. The strip footing must
be considerably wider than the wall it supports
in order to be structurally sound.
The depth of foundations varies with the
character of the subsoil, but any brick wall below
ground, such as this wall base, should be built
with cement mortar. A drainage membrane
prevents the intrusion of water onto the
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foundation wall. A suspended slab is supported

at the wall base over the hardcore. A subsoil
drain is laid beneath the ground in gravel to dry
out damp soil and lead seepage water away from
the foundations to a public drain.
Typical Costs for Foundations
Building
Footprint
Area (m)
50 m
50 m
50 m
Depth of
Dig
Required
(m)
Strip
Foundation
Trench Fill
Foundation
1m deep
0.3m deep
foundation
and
footing:
5,815.51
0.9m deep
foundation:
5,553.73
2m deep
1.3m deep
foundation
and
footing:
8,252.84
1.9m deep
foundation:
7,991.06
3m deep
2.3m deep
foundation
and
footing:
10,690.17
2.9m deep
foundation:
10,428.39
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100 m
1m depp
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0.3m deep
foundation
and
footing:
9,904.52
0.9m deep
foundation:
9,371.61
2m deep
1.3m deep
foundation
and
footing:
13,351.46
1.9m deep
foundation:
12,818.55
3m deep
2.3m deep
foundation
and
footing:
16,798.40
2.9m deep
foundation:
16,265.49
1m deep
0.3m deep
foundation
and
footing:
13,741.47
0.9m deep
foundation:
13,088.81
150 m
2m deep
1.3m deep
foundation
and
footing:
17,962.94
1.9m deep
foundation:
17,310.28
150 m
3m deep
2.3 deep
foundation
and
2.9m deep
foundation:
21,531.75
100 m
100 m
150 m
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footing:
22,184.41
NB: The strip footings and trench fill costs both

include all work to oversite and slab, so the costs
are directly comparable on a like for like basis
with the stage a raft foundation takes you to.
Trench fill foundations work out slightly cheaper
than traditional strip foundations, and are much
faster to build.
The cost of deeper strip foundations can rise by
3040% if the trenches require planking and
strutting to support them whilst footings are
being constructed. As soon as ground conditions
require a dig of around 2m, a reinforced raft
becomes a cheaper option.
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